Stop light



A. w. VAN OOSTEN 2,947,970

STOP LIGHT Aug. 2, 1960 Filed Jan. 28, 1957 INVENTOR gill-1h A. w. vmv 00875 D N ATTORNEYS STOP LIGHT Adrianus Wilhelmus van Dosten, Oude Delft 76, Delft, Netherlands Filed Jan. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 636,775

Claims priority, application Netherlands Feb. 3,1956

2 Claims. (Cl. 340-50) The invention relates to a stop light consisting of a lamp casing, a lamp with two filament spirals, a reflector and a glass disc provided with facets, which glass disc closes the casing. Such stop lights are used on motorcars and similar vehicles, but practice has shown that this way of signalling is not satisfactory under all conditions. In case of fog and other unfavorable weather conditions, in case of wear of the filament spirals of the lamp, or as a result of the battery wearing out it cannot in many cases be ascertained whether a vehicle is in motion with its ordinary tail-light or standing still with its stop light on.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide a stop light that under all circumstances diifers from the other lights with which the vehicle is normally provided.

According to the invention this is achieved by such an arrangement and/ or embodiment of the component parts that in actuating the brake the beam of light emitted by the lamp is caused to rotate. It can be experimentally proved that the stop light according to the invention is perceptible at very considerable distances and that it attracts the attention of the eye under most circumstances. It will therefore be possible to ascertain immediately whether a vehicle that is ahead is braking, standing still or is moving on normally.

A very simple construction of a stop light according to the invention is that in which the reflector is mounted rotatably around the lamp and is coupled with an electromotor through gearing wheel, the reflector being built up of segments which are mutually placed at an angle. At the moment that the brake pedal is pushed down and/or the hand brake is pulled tight, the second filament spiral of the lamp will be switched into the lighting circuit in the usual manner. At the same moment the electromotor will also be put into operation and the reflector will commence to rotate around its axis. The beam of light emitted by the lamp is therefore always directed at a different angle by the planes of the reflector and from outside the impression is gained that the light rotates.

The invention will hereinafter be discussed in more detail with reference to the drawing.

In this drawing the following is shown:

Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a stop light according to the invention and Figure 2 shows a front view thereof.

In the drawing the lamp casing is represented by 1, which lamp casing consists of a case mounted on a frame in the usual manner. If the stop light according to the invention is applied to a motor-car, the lamp casing 1 will be mounted on the rear mud guard. The lamp 2 contains the filament spirals 3 and 4 of differing light intensity. It is assumed that the spiral 3 serves for an ordinary tail-light and the spiral 4 is energized at the moment that the foot brake is applied or when the hand brake is pulled. Around the lamp 2 a reflector 5 is ates Patent 3 2,947,970 Patented Aug. 2, 196 0 ice directions, so that from outside the impression is obtained that the beam rotates.

At its front the lamp casing 1 is closed by a glass disc 8 which is conventionally provided with facets and which can be secured in the lamp casing 1 by means of screws 9 or the like.

On the outer ring 11 of the ball bearing 6 is fixed a gear 12 which can co-operate with a pinion 13, which pinion is fastened onto the shaft 14 of an electromotor 15. The motor 15 is fastened onto a frame by means of braces 16 and 17, which frame is secured to the base of the lamp casing 1. The construction is embodied in such a way that in putting on the foot or hand brake an electrical circuit is closed in which the coil of the motor 15 and the filament spiral 4 are incorporated. Such electrical circuit is shown in Fig. 1 wherein a lead 18 from one terminal of the battery is connected to one terminal of the filament 4 and terminal of the motor 15, the other terminals of the battery, filament and motor being grounded to the chassis of the vehicle or other common support. In the lead 18 are a pair of normally open contacts of a switch 19 which are adapted to be bridged by contactor 20 upon movement of the hand or brake lever shown as 21 in diagrammatic form. Since the filaments and motor are connected in parallel across the battery, this means that in operating the hand or foot brake the reflector 5 is caused to rotate and the filament spiral 4 is simultaneously energized. In this way the stop light differs from any other light of the vehicle, so that even at a considerable distance it can be perceived Whether a vehicle is moving on normally, or whether it is braking or standing still with the brake put on.

In the disclosed embodiment the invention is visualised as being applied to a vehicle such for example as a motor-car. The invention is however not limited thereto, as such a stop light could also be applied to bridges, unguarded level crossings and at other places where a warning for trafiic is required.

In the case of motor-cars, a stop light in accordance with the present invention can then of course be mounted on each of the two rear mud guards and be caused to rotate in opposite directions, whereby the effect is still increased.

Obviously many variations and modifications of the instant invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. Accordingly, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a signaling mechanism, the combination comprising a casing, a lamp supported within said casing and having at least one filament, a reflector surrounding said lamp, said reflector flaring outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the lamp and comprising a continuous series of planar segments, each segment adapted to reflect light rays directed thereto from the lamp in a re spective separate plane, a bearing embracing a base portion of the lamp and carrying said reflector, and a motor within the casing mechanically connected to said bearing to rotate said reflector.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, including a circuit connecting the said lamp filament and the said Halvorson et a1. May 22, 1928 Mateuszczyk- Apr. 2; 1935 Robert May 23, 1939 Koubeck et a1. June 17, 1941 Gossweiller Apr. 10, v1951 Roth Sept. 27, 1955 urk 

